Denial
by Midnight Memories
Summary: Sabaku no Temari, the strongest woman he knew, had fallen into an abusive relationship. Such knowledge just might send Shikamaru tumbling over the precipice of jealousy.
1. Cloud Watchers and Interesting Escorts

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters that appear in Naruto. 

**Dedication: **I hereby dedicate this entire story (though some chapters may be dedicated to reviewers who send me more than just "Good story:D –even though these review are accepted too!) to my good friend, I.Heart.Hatake.Kakashi! She indirectly mentioned that the plot idea was good, so I decided to give her a little surprise! This is your story, E! If you want anything specific in it, tell me, and you'll get it! Well, as long as it doesn't interfere with my planning! XD

**Warning: **Rated T for hints of abuse and coarse language.

**Chapter one: Cloud Watchers and Interesting Escorts**

One thing that made cloud-watching so fun was the fact that they could observe everything. Any passerby would think that the cloud-watcher would only stare at the sky, but to those who'd focus, they'd see that watchers do more than cloud watch.

They people watch too.

_'Interesting,'_ was the only word in Nara Shikamaru's mind as his half-lidded eyes followed the new arrival in Konoha.

It was a typical afternoon of an average day. The eighteen year old shinobi had gotten up, helped around the house after being ordered around by his mother, then had crumbled under a tree to nap after lunch. Nap, and watch clouds. And people too, of course.

The current object of his stare was the Kazekage's sister, also the main liaison between Suna and Konoha. It spoke highly of Sabaku no Gaara that he'd send his lone sister as a correspondent, plus the woman obviously enjoyed the job. She had knotted quite a few friendships over the years, both with males and females, and had broken a rather large number of hearts.

Which is why the shadow user had kept his delicately hidden.

What was so interesting about Sabaku no Temari, for the moment, was how she was entering the village. A confident look was plastered on her face, almost bordering on vanity, as she made her way towards the Hokage's tower.

The most interesting thing though, was the person trailing _behind_ her.

The man was tall and lean, with a hard, masculine face. He had short black hair, held up straight with a large amount of gel. His dark eyes were focused right on the woman in front of him as they walked, unwavering. He had a rather large, menacing-looking katana strapped to his side, almost mimicking Temari's fan in length.

The pair soon stepped out of sight through the maze of streets and people. Since there was nothing interesting to watch anymore, Shikamaru allowed his eyes to shut close. After such observations, his brain would naturally start spinning into a frantic blur of questioning, as he'd try to piece out exactly who this stranger is. This would soon lead to sleep, anyways.

"Are we almost there?"

To anyone, this would be the most obnoxious question one could ask. Yet when it came from such an imposing man, it was anything but annoying. The words held meaning and were spoken as importantly as is he was asking for the location of a hidden treasure.

Temari looked at the man walking behind her. "Almost. We should arrive at the Hokage's office in less than five minutes." A small smile fitted itself onto her lips. "I know, it _was_ a long trip."

"Your brother warned me," the tall male replied stoically. "I am not complaining."

"I know," she smiled noncommittally as possible. Silence then followed their little exchange, before she broke it with a question. "Are you sure you can't walk besides me, Ryota?"

The man shook his head, though it went unnoticed since the kunoichi was in front of him and was facing forward. "I've mentioned this before, Temari. I cannot look out for you if I stand besides you. Your back would then be unguarded."

The sand kunoichi sighed, her exhale devoid of annoyance. "But Ryota," she started, "this is Konoha! It's not like if I'll get mugged in the next thirty seconds or something!"

Just as she said so, an unpleasant loud scream resonated through the street as a blonde girl suddenly rushed towards Temari, all while shouting, "Tem! Oh my gosh! I had no idea you were coming back to Konoha this soon!"

Just as the girl was about to grab her in a hug, Ryota stepped forward. With smoothness that would've made a Hyuuga jealous, he managed to grab the girl in a powerful arm lock, his katana unsheathed and placed directly on her neck.

Freezing, the girl looked up questioningly at Temari, before starting to screech at the man to let him go.

"Ryota!" Temari groaned with a shake of her head. "Release her. She's harmless."

Slowly and with reluctance, he allowed the thin girl to bounce away from him. As she did so, she burst into obvious anger at being treated so unfairly. "Who the hell are you to take me, Temari's good friend, and threaten to kill me?"

Temari looked at Ryota with a shrug. "Meet Yamanaka Ino, Konoha's biggest gossip threat. You just ruined your reputation here, congratulations."

"Yes he did!" Ino snapped, running a hand on her throat. "Who the hell are you? Her bodyguard?"

The man didn't even flinch at her angry tone and spoke calmly. "My name is Ryota."

"Who cares?" Ino seethed. "You still tried to kill me!"

Temari raised a hand to her aching head. This day was turning out to be so bothersome. Deciding instantly that it would be better to break the two apart, she reached over and touched Ino's shoulder to get her attention. "We're late for an appointment, Ino. We'll catch up later, alright?"

"Yeah, sure," the Leaf kunoichi shrugged as she turned to leave. "Just don't bring Mr. Freak-Out when you do, alright?"

Ryota ignored the comment and nodded at Temari to go on. Suppressing the urge to reprimand the older boy who trailed behind her, the Kazekage's sister moved forward all while monitoring her feelings. Yes, she was angry at his outburst. Yes, she disapproved entirely of his methods to protect her. But he was…

"Here we are!"

Their arrival broke her train of thought as she ushered him inside. Since there were no secretaries, she simply marched right to Tsunade's office, the walk having been printed in her mind for years now. 

As she was about to raise her first to knock, the door was thrown open by the Hokage's assistant, who was currently holding onto a pink pig with pearls around its neck. As soon as they saw each other, both women smiled simultaneously.

"Good afternoon, Temari!" she chirped as the pig oinked.

The Sand kunoichi forced a smile. "Hi Shizune. Is Tsunade-sama in there?"

Nodding, the black-haired assistant allowed her and Ryota to pass before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Meanwhile, Temari approached the Hokage with long, confident steps, and bowed deeply in greeting.

"Thank you for coming so fast, Temari-san," Tsunade said with a slow drawl. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, probably from drinking a little too much the evening before.

Temari straightened from her bow and produced documents from the bag she had been carrying. "No problem, Hokage-sama. Matters like these are always prioritized by my brother, as you know."

As the light blonde woman reached for the files, she shot the man behind Temari a slightly suspicious look, that definitely didn't go unnoticed by the pair. The Sand kunoichi looked sternly at her escort, which made him step forward.

"It is my pleasure to present to you Saito Ryota, Hokage-sama." Temari smiled as she introduced him.

Ryota bowed deeply in front of the older blonde woman out of respect for a few seconds, before straightening to his full height. His eyes never lost its coldness as he remained as silent as the grave.

"Well-met," the woman answered with a nod. "May I require that he steps out, though? These are secret matters, Temari-san, even for a private guard."

Temari felt her eye twitch slightly as Ryota darkened visibly. Stepping forward so that his looming height might feel intimidating to the sitting female, he kept his head erect and glared down at her as he said, "My father is one of the Kazekage's best advisors. He has also appointed me as a secondary liaison, so these matters _do_ touch me." His eyes then narrowed. "Plus I am not Temari's bodyguard, but her betrothed."

Seeing Tsunade's eyebrows shooting up to almost her hairline, Temari chose to speak up. "We're dating. We've been together for almost a month now."

Silence adorned the room for a few seconds, before Tsunade murmured simply, "I see."

Shaking herself out of her seeming stupor, she looked down at the documents and sighed lightly. "I'll check these out later today, alright? How about if we discuss this tomorrow? I'm sure that you're both also exhausted." She then hesitated. "Shall I call for a second room to be arranged at the hotel?"

Temari was about to speak up and accept, but Ryota cut her off. "No, one room will be fine. Thank you, Hokage-sama." He then bowed and rudely turned around, giving Temari a glare to order her to follow. Shrugging lightly, she also respectfully bowed at Tsunade before following her boyfriend out of the room.

Leaning back into her chair, Tsunade watched the two go with a curious look spread in her eyes. Obviously, said curiosity had nothing to do with the super secretive documents she had sitting on her desk. Slowly, she reached down for the last drawer in her desk and pulled it open. Reaching down, she tugged the false bottom off to reveal her stash of sake bottles.

Taking one out and opening it, she sipped its contents as she made her way to the window. Peering outside, she could see the couple leaving, with Temari in front and Ryota following, menacingly glaring at anyone who paid attention to them.

Tsunade leaned against the window frame, unsure about how she felt at the moment. But there was definitely one thing that was sure, which she spoke out loud. "This is very interesting. The things that will arise from this will probably be very interesting too." Taking a large gulp, she smirked lightly as she turned from the window. "Either interesting or _very troublesome_…"

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A/N: First chapter done! Wootness! I though I'd have some problems, but it turned out better than I thought! Once I had started, things just began to flow out smoothly.

Now! How to break out of writer's block! XD Woe me, readers! Hehe… Review! It might help! XD

Take care!


	2. Battle of Wits

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

**Dedication: **This chapter is for sasukesgirl89, because she made me laugh like crazy the other day. Also, here is my fire, Yumi-chan! I got a flame, so here is where I shrug it off and we all do a cookout! Hands out marshmallows to every reader.

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Chapter two: Battle of Wits

Clouds slowly drifted by, sometimes even covering the unmerciful afternoon sun's rays from striking the ground. A peaceful breeze was even flickering around the quiet area, rendering the temperature perfect. The resting shinobi even noticed a butterfly going by, though he merely glimpsed it. He was dazing in and out of sleep, which was his second favorite pastime, until…

"Oh! My! Gosh! Shikamaru, you have NO idea what happened a few minutes ago!"

The loud, obnoxious voice directly besides him lulled the boy from his sleep. Grumbling, he rolled away from the source of the noise, but the girl roughly pulled him back to face her.

"Shika!" Ino whined, making a face. "Listen to me!"

"Get off, troublesome woman," he grunted sleepily, managing to get away from her grasp. "Why are you bothering me?"

Ino brought her knees up to her chest and took on a pitiful air. "Have you seen the guy who tags along with Temari? He's such a… a bastard! A jerk! An evil, freak-minded loser who doesn't know when to—"

"Alright, what did he do to you?" Shikamaru cut in. Maybe if he got to the point earlier, she'd let him sleep. It usually worked with Ino. Or he'd end up slumbering while she ranted for hours.

"He nearly killed me!" Ino screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. "He just brutally grabbed me and put his blade on my neck!"

Shikamaru barely had time to catch himself from falling asleep. This was boring. "Well you probably brought it onto yourself, Ino. Why don't you go harass Sakura with this? She's so strong that she could take his blade and shove it—"

She cut him off once more, but this time quietly. "But you're Temari's friend, too, right Shika? I thought you might have wanted to know that the dude was kinda checking her out!"

The shadow user crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. His respiration soon began to slow as his muscles relaxed thankfully.

"Shikamaru!" Ino barked, punching him in the sides. "How can you be so damn lazy?! Get up!"

"Ouch," he grumbled, his eyes snapping open in annoyance. "What do you want me to get up for, Ino? The guy didn't murder you, he's not stalking us at this moment, and if Temari wants to break his heart too, then she can go ahead. Kami only knows how many she's torn apart this last year."

The light-blonde haired girl groaned again as she pulled him savagely to his feet. Unmercifully, she dragged him along with her, ignoring the fact that he was stumbling and attempting to gain control of his footing. "You don't understand, Shikamaru! She was weird with him! Almost submissive! Like she ignored the fact that he had his katana to my throat, she just gently pushed him away! Temari would've usually beaten the hell out of that guy, so it's not normal! Admit it Shikamaru!"

"Fine!" he agreed, simply for the good of his poor ears as he allowed himself to be dragged. "So maybe she likes flirting, let her live, woman! Where are you bringing me, anyways?"

Ino turned a gleaming, mischievous pair of eyes towards him. "To spy on Temari, of course! Hurry up now, this will be so fun!"

"No." This time, he planted his feet firmly on the ground. "I am not spying on her; this is none of our business, Ino."

"Ugh, you are so lame!" she mumbled, whirling around to face him. "You used to do it when me. Why the sudden change?" Her face then turned into a sickly devious smirk. "Or is it because we're spying on the girl you'd kill to kiss?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru groaned, shaking his head as his eyes closed.

The blonde's mouth snapped open at his reaction. "What? You like her?"

Suddenly, doing chores assigned by his mother seemed terribly fun to do. Opening his grey eyes, he stared hard at Ino before saying, "Take option number two: I grew out of spying on people, then running around the village to tell everyone possible. I have better things to do. Why don't you leave the girl alone anyways?"

Seeing that she had lost, Ino gave up with a grunt. "Fine, but next time, I won't let you go! Just because it's the love of your life we're talking about!" Winking at her childhood friend, she gave him a cheeky grin before dropping her steel grip on his arm and left, skipping the entire way down the road.

Hours later, as the suppertime wave started diminishing from the restaurants, Shikamaru found himself in front of one. His stomach growled hungrily as the sweet aroma of the food drifted out of the open doors, which he crossed soon after.

As his eyes started scanning the full tables for a place to sit, he noticed a table of six that had four seats unoccupied. Since there didn't seem to be any other spots available, he decided to go see the two ladies sitting down.

He knew them, of course. This absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that Sabaku no Temari was one of the two girls.

Stopping besides the wooden table, he smiled lightly and nodded. "Hey."

"Hi Shikamaru!" Tenten grinned as she waved energetically. Instantly, though mostly to clear the awkward silence that could ensue, she asked, "Want to join us?" 

"Sure." The lazy shinobi took place besides the weapon's mistress of Konoha before raising his eyes towards the blonde girl. "Back in Konoha already, woman?"

A small smirk tugged at the corners of the Sand kunoichi's lips as her left eyebrow rose slightly in amusement. "Did you miss me, Nara?"

He only grunted in answer and turned to look outside over Tenten's shoulder, suddenly regretting sitting with them. As he did so, though, he noticed the bun-haired girl's eyebrows gently rising and a smile slipping on her features.

"Well," she sighed, "I guess I should go. It's getting kind of late, actually."

Temari almost darkened. "First Sakura leaves because of a medical emergency, next Ino because she had a date, then Hinata because of her curfew. What's your excuse?"

"Can't I use Ino's?" Tenten grinned, reaching up to tighten the knot on her headband. "I have a training date with my crazy team!"

"I don't believe you train," Temari smirked as she twirled her straw through the ice in her drink. "No one's that stupid, Tenten. Lee and Gai are always together, which leaves you hours in the forest, alone, with that Hyuuga. Don't try to make us believe there's nothing going on."

Tenten shrugged as she got up. "Believe whatever you want! Bye guys!"

_'Another troublesome woman…'_ Shikamaru thought as he watched Tenten exit the restaurant. _'She just had to leave me alone with her.'_

His grey eyes drifted lazily outside as the white, fluffy clouds were tinted orange by the casting sun. He knew that the blonde woman was staring at him with that continuous confident smirk that never seemed to leave her features.

He broke the looming silence first. "How long are you here for, woman?"

"Why?" She leaned back in her chair to stretch. "So you can start breathing normally and quit looking over your shoulder in case I'm there?"

_'I really hate Tenten.'_ Rolling his eyes, he rapidly came up with his answer. "More like, I can't stop looking over my shoulder to see if your murderous bodyguard's there. Who's that guy anyways?"

"He's not my bodyguard, for your information." He noticed her smile had vanished. "I'm guessing Ino told you?"

"Ino told practically everyone," he sighed as his feet shuffled on the dark blue carpet. "I was just one of the unlucky few who didn't have time to hide from her." 

Temari smirked and took a sip of her drink nonchalantly. She set down her glass only when he asked, "If he isn't your bodyguard, who is he? Your new husband?"

Sensing the mocking tones dripping from his voice, Temari's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He's my boyfriend, crybaby. Take it easy on the jealousy meter, you're about to explode from what I'm seeing."

There was no need to fake surprise. Shikamaru's eyes widened lightly before falling back the way they were. This was even more interesting than he had thought. Temari had found a guy that rose up to the impossibly high mark she had placed. Wow. That was quite a feat. He'd have to congratulate the guy, even though half of him would rather tear his head off.

Still, this was a perfect opportunity to drill Temari. Rare were the men who could get her as angry as he could with simple teasing. Actually, rare were the men who weren't shoved down every time she spoke to them. "I don't believe he's your boyfriend. I say Gaara stuck a guard to you and you're too ashamed to admit it."

Now Temari's dark blue eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "Are you hinting I'm weak, lazy ass?"

Shikamaru shrugged, half-closing his eyes as he expected what was inevitable. _The Storm._

Slamming her palm on the table, an act that caused the dishes to shake and many heads to turn, the fierce kunoichi stood up. Reaching over so that he'd look directly at her, she snapped, "Tomorrow morning, seven sharp, in front of the Academy. If you're late, I'm coming over to your house to drag you out here myself. I'll make you swallow your words, crybaby!"

As she stomped away, looking ready to kill anyone who stood in her path, Shikamaru dared to call out, "No problem, as long as you bring your bodyguard with you. You'll need him."

She only turned around to glare, her fingers reaching towards her weapon pouch. Yet her lips curled into a smile even though anger was literally evaporating from her, as she said, "I don't need Ryota's help to take care of a whelp like you."

When she slammed the door of the restaurant, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Seven, tomorrow…" Shikamaru moaned as he miserably looked down at the table in front of him. "That's way too early…" 

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A/N: Hi again guys!

I got some questions about my story, so let me clear some things up. Yes, this will be a ShikaTema, with a happy ending. Well, a bittersweet ending, depending on which angle you look at it from.

I also added a warning at the beginning. There will be hints of abuse in this story, though I doubt I'll make a full chapter of only that. I had forgotten to mention it, sorry for those who started this story and are disappointed.

Thanks so much for my reviews! I never got so many for the first chapter, thank you all!

Take care!


	3. Seductive Training

**Disclaimer: **I own Ryota, I own Ryota! I'm now waiting for someone to buy him from me! This one's for Temari no Sabaku! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and for the few PMs we've exchanged!

**Dedication:** This one's for Temari no Sabaku! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and for the few PMs we've exchanged!

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Chapter three: Seductive Training

Shikamaru didn't know why he did it. He didn't know why, in the evening before going to bed, he set his clock for 6:45. He didn't know why, when it rang, he didn't go through the usual procedure of smacking the "snooze" button quite a few times. Instead, he sat up without a complaint and got dressed, and was out of the house by 6:50. At seven sharp, he had arrived in front of the Academy.

Temari wasn't there.

Grumbling something about how women were troublesome, Shikamaru plopped down close to a tree and shut his eyes with a sigh. Crossing his arms behind his head, he forced his subconscious to shut down as he began to doze off. Yet there was a nagging feeling that kept him from fully falling into the peaceful slumber. The sentiment that there was something wrong kept harassing his thoughts. That and certain disappointment.

Usually, Sabaku no Temari was the most punctual person on the planet. The only rare occasions that she'd make someone wait on purpose were to anger the person. But then again, she was smart enough to know that he wouldn't get flustered over such a trivial thing as her being late.

So if she knew this, then she wasn't making him wait on purpose. There was another reason for her tardiness, and the only option left was that she was forced to stay away.

Even though the fact bothered him immensely, his laziness forbade him to get up to look for her. Temari was a strong woman who kept her engagements; if she had a problem, she'd take care of it easily enough.

Actually, Shikamaru pitied whatever the 'problem' was.

It was only about twenty minutes later that a rather large object was slammed on the ground besides his head and her booming voice snapped, "Get up, lazy ass! We have a match to start!"

At that, the shinobi cracked his eyes open to glare up at Temari. Her hair had been hurriedly done, yet still looked perfect in his eyes. Her face held mild annoyance, uneasily covering the relief in her eyes at seeing him.

"Hm, sorry," he sighed, "but I think that I won. We were supposed to begin at 7, yet you weren't present. I declared myself the winner."

Temari rolled her eyes as she prodded him with her fan. "Get up, crybaby. Okay, so I woke up a bit late, so what? I still want that spar with you."

Shikamaru shrugged as he mumbled, "Well I don't, woman. Go away, now."

But then Temari set her massive fan on top of his chest and leaned against it, causing the poor boy to cough instantly and attempt to sit up.

"I feel generous, child," she smirked, pulling the fan off of him. "So you get to keep your life. But we have to train, come on!"

As Shikamaru was standing up, his eyes caught something unnatural. Narrowing them to slits, he reached over and gently skimmed his fingers behind her shoulder, over the fishnet that covered her peach skin. She turned around and stared at him strangely while his arm came down, his lips setting in a line.

"You've done enough training back at home," he said sullenly. "You should rest while you're here."

Temari smirked confidently. "I can manage a whelp like you, Nara."

But Shikamaru stepped around her until he was staring down in her aquamarine eyes. Since he had gained his eighteen years of age, he had grown taller than the girl. The top of her head barely reached his nose, now.

As he stopped squarely in front of her, barely six inches in distance from her, Temari froze nervously and the smile flew off her face. She bit the inside of her lip hard as her heart began to pump faster than it normally was. Swallowing bitterly, she held his gaze and waited for him to speak, to explain why he had approached her so closely.

"Something tells me that training hasn't been the highest priority on your list these days," he spoke quietly. "The bruise at the back of your shoulder is almost impossible to give you. It's rare that an opponent will get closer than a few feet from you and even then, you would shove them backwards with your fan."

Rapidly, Temari dropped her voice to a whisper as she ducked her head. "You're right, Shikamaru. These bruises are not from sparring…"

Shikamaru blinked, almost rising an eyebrow. There was something missing in this current situation, it just felt too downright strange. The next thing he knew, though, his back was crushed against the tree and he had a kunai pressed to his neck.

"They're from taijutsu," Temari coolly explained, her eyes dancing victoriously. "My brothers have been harassing me to learn some forms of higher taijutsu in case something was to happen to my fan during a battle."

Shikamaru now realized that the discomfort she had seemed to bear earlier was now transferred to him. His palms were sweaty and a knot had formed in his stomach. He was also fighting the horrible blush that was working its way onto his face at their sudden proximity.

In the process of knocking him against the tree, Temari had also made sure that he wouldn't leave by flattening herself against him, standing on her tiptoes so that her face would be directly in front of him, angled perfectly. Just one inch forward and he could press his lips against hers in the kiss that he'd been dying to have for years. Yet the kunai pressed against his throat also promised a sudden death if he was to lunge forward even an inch.

Obviously his face had flushed as his eyes shifted guiltily to the side at the thought, since Temari laughed softly, driving his desire into almost madness. She approached her face even closer to his and whispered teasingly, "What's wrong, crybaby? Are you alright?"

Just as she finished talking though, the sound of someone deeply clearing its throat tore Temari away from him. He lifted his head to look at the newcomer, but as his eyes were locked with the intruder's, he gave a low groan.

"How troublesome," he whispered to himself, dropping his eyes to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Ryota growled, his dark eyes flaming with fury. His teeth were clenched and his features slightly contorted, but asides from that, he was standing perfectly straight and still. Waiting.

Temari nervously fidgeted, an act that Shikamaru noticed instantly and found quite interesting once again. Temari didn't fidget, usually...

"We were sparring," she explained, but then she shot a dirty glare at Shikamaru. "Or rather, I was. He promised a fight this morning, yet refused to go through with it. I was just reminding him of what could happen if—"

"Don't blame me for this woman," Shikamaru countered. Sure, speaking up usually wasn't his thing, but explaining his actions would be better than being murdered by the towering man now besides him. "You were late, then you practically attacked me."

"You," Ryota snapped after a short pause, glaring at the Leaf shinobi. "What's your name?"

_'What a drag…' _He gave a light nod and introduced himself. "Nara Shikamaru."

Silence followed Shikamaru's words, but then Ryota turned to face him. His angry expression had fallen to a dull, emotionless one. After a few long steps, Ryota had reached the shadow user and was looking at him long and hard. Finally, he bent down in a deep bow, before straightening and glaring at Temari.

"I give you my most sincere apologies for her brash actions," Ryota said gently. "She can be quite independent and rude. I also know that she didn't mean it, right Temari?"

His eyes turned as icy as a sub-zero temperature, his glare sending daggers to the girl. Shikamaru also looked towards the kunoichi, who had her head dipped with shame.

"Sorry," she mumbled, almost sounding like a scolded child. After a second glare from Ryota, she lifted her chin. Her eyes boiled furiously as she gritted out, "I'm sorry, Shikamaru. I shouldn't have shoved you against the tree."

Now, the shadow user wasn't too sure which was weirdest. The fact that Ryota was taking his side, or Temari apologizing. Either way, he had to give the man huge credit for having Temari wrapped around his finger.

_'This is not right…'_ was the thought that kept repeating in his mind. _'Something's wrong.'  
_  
Yet Shikamaru didn't voice his fears, choosing the easier option. He bowed deeply in return and verbally accepted Temari's apology. When he straightened, her eyes were dull with a touch of what appeared to be sadness. Her arms were crossed in pure annoyance, even though her shoulders were slumped lightly and she was refusing to look at either males.

Ryota then made his way to Temari, before gripping her forearm, causing her to uncross her them. In an authoritarian's tone, he drawled, "We have to talk with Tsunade-sama. Come."

Without another look at the shadow user, Temari complied with Ryota's wish and turned around, starting in the direction of the Hokage's tower. The man turned to give Shikamaru a last bow of departure before continuing after Temari.

Still unsure of what exactly had just happened, Shikamaru leaned back against the tree where he had been held captive moments ago. He allowed himself to slide down to a sitting position as he watched the two leave. But instead of feeling relief at having passed smoothly besides a confrontation, he felt rather disconcerted. Now that the exchange was over, he would've preferred a thousand times to get yelled at for "seducing" Temari. It wasn't fair that she was the one who had taken the entire blame for it.

It wasn't fair because now, his brain had to speculate about what just happened. How troublesome…

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A/N: Hi guys!

Wow, I don't think I ever got so many reviews for a chapter one and two! Thanks so much to everyone who has slammed this in their Story Alert (or me in Author Alert, for that matter! I luff you all!), or who has favorite'd me! –Does happy dance -

Well this actually turned out better than I expected. To be honest I just went through a breakup, so writing romance was the very last thing I wanted to do. That's why the chapter was a bit late, also combined with massive amounts of homework… v.v Teachers are merciless.

On a downside, I'm competing in the annual Script Frenzy competition, which is roughly to write 100 pages of script in 30 days. This will probably eat up my entire month of April, dearest readers, so I might not be able to update –ducks pitchforks and pointy rocks thrown- for the entire month. BUT I will promise that if I get ahead of schedule by six pages, I'll stop working on my Screnzy and focus on writing you all a new chapter.

Anyone else joining in Screnzy with me?

Thanks for reading,  
Take care!


	4. Simultaneous Discussions

**Disclaimer: **I'll buy it one day! I'll buy it! Total donations so far: Three toothpicks, one Sasuke keychain, and a pen from WalMart! Woot!

**Dedication: **This one's for Knight-Of-Shadows! Thank you so much for the amazing review you sent my way!

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**Chapter Four: Simultaneous Discussions  
**  
"I can't believe that you have a boyfriend before I do," Tenten sighed as she walked along the borders of the city with Temari. "Plus it's so unfair that you're leaving for Suna tomorrow morning! We barely had any chance to talk!"

Temari nodded, raising her eyes to the clear sky as she replied, "I know, Tenten. These documents are high priority, though, so I can't stay here another day, even though I really want to. Plus Ryota's more than happy to keep reminding me that we have to leave. He doesn't really like being away from home."

They both halted close to a fence a few feet away from a few Academy students trying to learn how to throw kunai knives. Some children would struggle immensely while the others were already hitting the board in front of them. Iruka was trudging through those who had difficulties, gently whispering words of encouragement and advice.

Reverting back to her teasing self, Temari leaned against the old fence, resting her forearms onto the rough wood. "You know… I never exactly figured out why you and the Hyuuga don't go out. You spend more time with him than with anyone else combined!"

"Ugh!" Tenten groaned, shooting her arms in the air. "Why do you keep bringing this up? Do you have some sick fascination with Neji and I or something?"

Temari smirked as she explained, "No, not a fascination. It's just so flatly obvious that it's practically biting you both in the face."

"Just like you and Shikamaru?" Tenten countered, a victorious smile setting onto her face.

Temari whirled around, losing her smile instantly. "Excuse me? Did you just try to pair me with the lazy ass himself? What in the world made you think of that?"

Tenten only smiled knowingly as she stared at one particular little girl. She was trying to hold a shuriken and it kept falling from her hands. A little boy hurriedly went over and picked it up, showing her how to hold it in the process. But instead of thanking him, the girl snatched the weapon away and started screeching at him that she didn't need his help.

Now also leaning against the fence, the Konoha kunoichi only sighed and said, "Because before, when a guy would try to push your buttons, you'd shut him up with only a word or two. But when it comes to Shikamaru, you start yelling real sentences, you get all worked up, you don't care who is listening. You interact with him, you love the intellectual battle that you have raging on with him. It also doesn't hurt that he's a genius and can shoot back some witty answers. There's real passion there, no matter how hard you deny it."

Scoffing, Temari looked away. "Right, I'd so love a boyfriend with whom I'd fight all the time. Don't you see me with Ryota, Tenten? We never argue."

"You never ague outdoors," Tenten agreed, suddenly turning her innocent eyes towards her friend. Temari froze, keeping her eyes away from her friend, who thankfully continued, "But you barely speak to him, also."

Temari once again chose to not answer, suddenly finding Iruka's training very interesting. She saw, out of her peripheral vision, Tenten approaching and placing a hand on her arm.

"You know, to be honest with you Temari, I don't think Ryota's suitable. I don't think he loves you all that much. Are you sure he isn't with you for the political power that can be taken from being your boyfriend?" Tenten ventured uneasily.

"No," Temari murmured, looking back at Tenten tiredly. "That, I can assure you. This is not for the power."

* * *

This was just one of the afternoons where Shikamaru would voluntarily ditch his naptime. It was also the kind of moment where, wincing, he'd take out a wallet full of cash and would head out to the restaurant where his old team would meet once a week. He'd then dump all the money to the waitress, sit back, and watch his best friend chow down.

In between a couple of bites, Chouji looked up at Shikamaru and mumbled, "So, what did you want to see me for?"

It took Shikamaru a few seconds to answer. He was still unsure about everything that had happened the day before, the entire scene with Temari. Suddenly, he lunged into an explication of what had occurred, complete with the bruise, the late training, and the near kiss. A few times through the story, Chouji would actually stop eating to peer at Shikamaru, yet when the latter mentioned that Temari had pinned him against a tree, the food-lover almost choked on a piece of meat.

"You mean she has feelings for you?" Chouji stammered once he had made the food pass through with a glass of water. "Like, she almost kissed you?"

Shikamaru looked away, knowing that his best friend was only teasing him. It wasn't unusual for Chouji to tease him about the Sand kunoichi, having guessed about his best friend's infatuation a long time ago.

"I doubt it," the shadow user sighed. "It was almost as if she wanted to distract my attention…"

"And it worked, obviously!" Chouji grinned as the waitress brought them more food.

Shikamaru reached over and grabbed some vegetables, speaking in the process. "Not really. I still remember the bruise on her shoulder, Chouji. She's lying, I know it."

"Why don't you talk to her about it again? We both know that she's leaving tomorrow morning, so you can't really dawdle," he managed through a few bites.

"And tell her what?" Shikamaru groaned in slight anger. "That I know that she's being hurt by that stupid, arrogant, poor-excuse of a man and a—"

"Come on, Shikamaru," Chouji rolled his eyes lightly as he ate. "You can't be serious, right? As if Sabaku no Temari, the strongest and most headstrong woman on this planet, would fall victim to an abusive boyfriend."

"Maybe she really loves him," Shikamaru offered weakly, angry at his own brain for being unable to find a more rational excuse.

Chouji snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Well I think you're simply imagining all this drama. Or, there's the obvious solution."

Instantly, Shikamaru leaned forward, hoping his friend would agree with him. "Which is?"

Chouji stopped eating and also leaned forward seriously. "My guess is that you're overly jealous because the guy wooed Temari before you could. You have no concrete evidence Shikamaru, and you're a genius. A genius knows that without evidence, there's no criminal case." He then began to laugh and settled back.

"Tch," the lazy shinobi settled back in his chair and crossed his arms, shutting his eyes. "Troublesome Chouji. I'm not jealous."

Chouji smiled again as he resumed his eating. "Sure, Shika, sure."

* * *

A/N: Aww, an uber short, disgusting filler for you all! Don't you hate me? But to be honest, I had to write this chapter. (There was supposed to be two other discussions afterwards, one with Shikamaru and Temari and the other between Shikamaru and Tsunade. But these will be for the next chapter.) I think it ties in with the title very nicely, we can see how Shikamaru and Temari are both dabbling with denial.

On a lighter note, I'm now officially halfway on my Screnzy goal! (Well, CeltX tells me I am… hope Screnzy finds so as well…) Got 51 pages whipped up in 10 days. -Dies-. All hail the record. But be happy that I've updated, honestly. This is a little filler, just to remind you guys of this fic! XP Shortest thing I've ever posted, I think. I know it's not that good, nothing really happened, but it's –something-.

Got 41 reviews on three chapters… -Sniff- thank you all! You're amazing! I can't wait to continue with this story! As soon as I hit my 100 pages goal and it gets approved, I'm veering back here!

Enough with my ranting! I'm back to my great writer's block over my Screnzy…

Take care!


	5. Uncertain Love

**Disclaimer: **Copyright Naruto… -Insert sad smiley face here-

**Dedication: **This one will be for... Golden Snowflake! Woot! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for the reviews!

* * *

**Chapter Five: Uncertain Love**

Temari sat up in her bed as soon as her eyes opened. The clock behind her glowed with the numbers "7:30" and the birds were singing sweetly outside. The fact that Ryota wasn't lying beside her meant that he was already up, which also sent her a clear warning that she was late. There was no noise in the apartment, and all of his things had disappeared from their modest lodgings.

As the kunoichi jumped out of bed and began to hurriedly pack up her things, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment. _'He could've woken me up, at the very least…'_

As she briefly halted in front of the mirror to brush her hair back in its signature style, she took a pause to look at the back her shoulder. The bruise was healing nicely; it would be all but disappeared by the next day.

It took her less than ten minutes to have herself ready and the entire room gathered. She swept her dark blue eyes over the bedroom one last time as she hurriedly shoved the door open, then walked out rapidly only to run right into someone's chest. The collision caused her opened bag to fall over, spilling all her clothing, papers, weapons, and random objects over the floor.

"Kami, woman, why in such a hurry? How troublesome, see what happens when you rush things?" the man drawled as he pulled away.

Temari instantly glared at the newcomer. "I wouldn't have run into you if you wouldn't have been standing right in front of my door like this, lazy ass! Why are you here?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the accusation, leaning lazily on the doorframe. "I came to point out that your boyfriend is waiting for you at the gates. He's been waiting for quite a while, now."

"I know," Temari bit back, ignoring the twist in her stomach. "Because of you, now, I'll be twice as late. Pick up my things."

"Tch, troublesome woman, I'd never reduce myself to a slave in front of you. Remember that you didn't close the bag- therefore, this is your problem," Shikamaru shrugged. He shifted away as Temari angrily knelt and began shoving things back in their supposed place.

Suddenly, after Temari had finished gathering her things, Shikamaru spoke up again. "I didn't come here to tell you that Ryota was waiting at the gate, you know."

"I've figured," Temari sighed as she stood up slowly. "Out with it, Shikamaru. I'm tired."

A slight smile fitted itself upon his lips, though a shadow of uncertainty danced in his eyes. "I want to know if you love Ryota."

The question was simple, plain. But for Temari, it had the same effect as a ton of bricks being settled upon her chest. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she shot Shikamaru a venomous look before starting to walk.

The Leaf shinobi began to follow her, as he prodded, "Well?"

"He's my boyfriend, Nara," she replied curtly. "Why wouldn't I love him?"

Shikamaru began to trail her as Ryota did, a few feet behind her while she leaded. He figured it would annoy her, though she didn't react to it. "I don't find anything between you two that indicates love."

"Okay, so we don't make out in public. What's wrong with that?" she countered, half-relieved that he couldn't see the look on her face. Somehow, she knew that he'd be able to read the lie that floated in her eyes.

"What's wrong with it? Nothing, it just seems really out of character for you. It seems as though if Temari loved someone, she'd be showing it off to anyone willing to look." Shikamaru smirked confidently as he spoke. He'd nail her soon enough. One could only lie so much without having to spurt a bit of truth. But he had to admit that Temari was quite a piece of work when it came to battles like these. She was as fierce with her tongue as she was with that fan.

Temari felt her shoulders stiffen, but forced herself to appear calm. "Then you read me wrongly, Shikamaru."

The lazy shinobi snickered as he raised his arms to cross behind his head. "And lastly, if you really, really loved him, you would've shoved me to the ground for assuming that you didn't; you would've tortured me, pulverized me, and crushed me again to make sure I'd be truly dead."

Now Temari stopped and turned around slowly. The confident expression had been wiped off her features to reveal one of strain and fatigue. "So I chose to give you permission to live. What if I feel pity for you, lazy ass? With such manners, no wonder you don't have a girl by your side."

Shikamaru took this opportunity to step forward so they'd face each other. Once again, he repeated, "Do you love him, Temari? That's all I want to hear."

The blonde woman suddenly started studying his collar, refusing to look at him in the eyes. Uncertainty was barely discernable in her features, but the telltale way her hands were clenched, the way her muscles were tense, and the pain in her eyes spoke the truth about her emotions.

A few seconds went by before Shikamaru nodded. "That's what I thought," he whispered softly. He took a quick look around and, seeing no one in the deserted street they had veered into, gently reached over to take her hands in his.

Temari looked at their interlocked fingers for a few second, then roughly shook her head. All sense of vulnerability suddenly vanished as she ripped their hands apart. Stepping away from him, her looks cold, she snapped, "Thanks for walking me all this way, Shikamaru, I think I can manage the rest of the way myself."

The shinobi blinked in sudden confusion, but it soon cleared to make place for indifference. Girls. Emotions. Mood Swings. It happened with his mother all the time, he shouldn't even have to think about it by now.

"Anytime," he simply answered, nodding lightly. "Will you come back anytime soon? We never had the sparring session I've promised you."

Temari suddenly lit up with a victorious, nasty smile. She then spoke in a sickly sweet smile, "You could come to Suna, Shikamaru. In two weeks, when Tsunade will be done with the documents, she'll send a liaison to the Sand Village."

"Walking all the way to Suna… Me?" Shikamaru ventured in a whine, before receiving a smack on the side of the head from Temari's palm. "Oye. Fine, woman, I could maybe try managing the trip."

"You better," Temari smirked. Then, without another word or farewell, she turned around and strutted away.

Shikamaru watched her leave, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. She was leaving, with a man that she didn't love, back to Suna. Yet she had invited him over… Which meant that she wanted to see him again, for some reason. Which also meant that she either wanted to humiliate him for the thousandth time in his life, to make him walk to Suna for absolutely nothing, or because she cared.

"Ugh, how troublesome," he moaned, rubbing his forehead. "No matter how high my I.Q. is, I don't think I'll ever figure women out."

* * *

True enough, a week and a half later, Shikamaru was summoned to Lady Tsunade's office. He hadn't forgotten Temari's invitation to Suna and, before even meeting with the Hokage, had actually begun to pack his bag.

At three-thirty, half an hour before his meeting, his mother had arrived to check up on him. She slammed the door open and, with a screeching voice only the Nara women seemed to possess, yelled, "Shikamaru, get ready now, will you? The Hokage will probably have a mission for you, and like always you won't be ready and this'll put a black mark on—"

As soon as Yoshino had stepped into the room and had noticed his clothes folded and ready to go, her face fell with concern. Gone was the scary woman who had angrily marched in the room a few seconds ago.

"Son?" she fretted as she crossed the room to go to his beside. She began pressing various areas of his face with the back of her hand. "Are you feeling okay? You're not feverish…"

"I'm fine, mom," he waved her off with slight annoyance. "I was leaving right now, anyways. You didn't have to remind me."

He stepped around her and exited the room, while Yoshino peered suspiciously at the already packed bag. Something was either terribly wrong, terribly exciting, or her son had won a trip to watch the clouds for days on end.

* * *

Shikamaru bowed politely at Tsunade before straightening out and lazily shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He absentmindedly noticed that Shizune appeared rather annoyed, while the blonde woman was surprisingly sober.

"So, I have this mission for you," the Hokage yawned tiredly. Shizune cleared her throat, so Tsunade rolled her eyes and continued more formally. "These documents in front of you are to be brought to Kazekage-sama. You are to stay there for exactly a week, and on the seventh day, Gaara will give you more papers to deliver back to me."

"Sounds simple enough," Shikamaru commented lightly, taking the documents. "Shouldn't you send a Chuunin, at best, for this?"

Tsunade shot Shizune a sly look, then answered, "… They are… very important documents. Dangerous route, we never know who's around. They're also very secretive. Definitely an A-rank mission, definitely."

Shikamaru shrugged. This was getting less and less stimulating by the second. "Is that it?"

"Indeed!" both women chirped at the same time. They were then unnaturally quiet as Shikamaru left the room.

After assuring themselves that he was out of earshot, Shizune closed the door and crossed her arms. "I can't believe you sent him, out of all people! That was cruel, Tsunade-sama!"

The blonde woman only smiled knowingly. "I can assure you that something very interesting will come out of it, Shizune."

Shizune shook her head as she began to plead, "But the Kazekage's sister is—"

"Don't start," Tsunade ordered while waving a hand dismissively. "I know about Temari. Which is why I sent him instead of any other. You'll see, Shizune, just trust me. If everything goes according to my plan, there will be quite a few fireworks in a couple of days in Suna!!"

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone, and please all raise your glass to every Screnzy winner! Woot! All my apologies if this was a little bit "scripted" and was missing description. I have to get back in the whole "show, don't tell" world of writing. Also, this was supposed to be in the same chapter as the last, but it's less of a filler since we actually have something happening. Now I'm glad that I've split them up… Don't you guys adore slight cliffies? XD

And just when one assignment ends, one starts! We are now starting the infamous essay in English. Compare MacBeth and The Crucible… bleh, how boring. I'll work a bit on my essay, write down the Death Note fic I've been dying to write, and then the next chapter should come!

Hope you all enjoyed and will review!

Take care!

P.S. Anyone else having terribly problems with the Doc. editor? v.v It keeps moving my paragraphs around... Terribly annoying...


	6. The Invitation

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

**Disclaimer** – I own it as much as I own that new Ipod Touch… which is, in my dreams.

**Dedication **– This one is for kaname's harisen! Thank you so much for your long, well-written reviews! Thanks also for the actual con-crit and not just general comments. You're great, hope you like it! It's a tad bit longer (only of about 400 words…) for you! XP

* * *

**Chapter six: The Invitation**

Shikamaru halted in front of a building, thankfully slinking in the shade as he sunk down to a sitting position. The shade was an immense relief as he brushed his bare arm on his slick forehead. His sleeveless shirt was soaked with sweat, yet the shade did little to cool him down.

He had been crawling uselessly through the desert for three days, before an overly-sympathetic old woman had randomly approached him and had told him that he kept circling Suna without actually entering it.

"Damn deserts," the Leaf nin muttered under his breath as he mentally begged for a breeze to soothe his boiling blood. "I could've walked for weeks without knowing where I was."

As he sat there, talking to himself, he undid the clasp on his sandals and pulled them off, shaking the sand out of the soles and attempting to brush it away with his clammy hand. There was sand everywhere. Getting in everything. How in the world did people live around here?

He was once again debating whether or not he should take his shirt off when a few young teenagers turned a corner. They were chasing after a ball, all dressed in thick robes and pants. Shikamaru openly gawked at them, instantly hating the little pests. In fact, most of Suna seemed to be too overdressed, which got him to realize that he might be doing a grave error if he'd take some clothing off. When thinking hard about it, though, the only woman in all of Suna who didn't care much if her skirt ended a bit higher on her calves, or if her shirt allowed a slim peak at the skin underneath, was Temari.

A small snicker left his lips as he mentally scolded himself. _'I have to stop thinking about her. She is, after all, in a relationship…'_

Slowly, he stood up and once again plunged himself in the scorching sun's rays. He managed to find the building, which proclaimed on a sign outside as being "Sunakagure's Office of External and Internal Affairs", knowing that Gaara's office was at the very top. Which was also conveniently situated on the 11th floor of the building, with no working elevator.

Thankfully, though, air conditioning had been installed, apparently for the sole purpose of prevention for the overheating machines.

"Right," Shikamaru whispered to himself as he began to ascend the first staircase. "Gaara was probably suffocating halfway to his office and threatened the entire council to butcher them if they didn't do anything about it."

So he began to ascend the stairs, muttering "troublesome" every now and then. And he climbed. And climbed. And climbed some more. Every staircase was getting harder to climb for his over-strained legs, who eventually gave up.

So Shikamaru's laziness, combined with the fact that every staircase had a minimum of fifty steps and that he had ten to climb, forced him to stop climbing at the sixth floor. He sunk down lazily on the 27th step and groaned, leaning back against the wall and stretching his legs out in front of him.

Shutting his eyes in fatigue, he muttered to himself, "Damn it, this is such a drag. Why does Gaara have to work on the freaking eleventh floor? He probably carries himself up and down the stairs by his sand…"

A male voice then spoke besides him. "Or maybe he just shuts up and takes whatever the council gave him when he was appointed Kazekage."

Shikamaru cracked an eye open and stared right at Gaara, who was standing directly above him. Wincing lightly at being caught, he shrugged and answered, "That could be a plausible explanation too. I still believe that he uses his sand to transport himself sometimes, though."

Gaara rolled his eyes lightly, before crossing his arm. He then spoke, his tone lifted with light sarcasm. "Would you like to come up the rest of the way, Nara-san, or would you like to have our meeting here?"

Shikamaru almost smirked as he pulled his legs closer to him and patted the ground besides him. The Kazekage remained frozen for an instant at his audacity, but then relented and sat besides the Konoha shinobi. His thick black robes fell around him, which made Shikamaru cringe lightly. How did the people of Suna survive…?

"I trust that Tsunade-sama sent you here regarding the trade of merchandise?" the redhead started, staring right at Shikamaru.

The Konoha shinobi shrugged again as he handed Gaara the appropriate documents. "Who knows? I dozed off when Tsunade began to explain the details of the mission. I swear, every woman is born with the capacity to be troublesome. I have no idea how men live through marriage."

"Let's remain on the subject," Gaara calmly answered. "Did the Hokage give you any more instruction, Nara-san?"

The lazy shinobi dug back in his mind for more information before speaking up again. "Temari-sama also told me I'd stay for a week, before you'd send me back with the appropriate documents," Shikamaru answered, stretching his back muscles.

Gaara suddenly narrowed his eyes and glared at Shikamaru lightly. The latter raised an eyebrow as the stare was prolonged and asked, "What?"

The Kazekage leaned forward lightly. "You said Temari instead of Tsunade."

Shikamaru blinked, before making a face and closing his eyes. He _had_ said Temari, there was no use in denying it. Yet his mind already had an excuse whipped up. "I know, it's exactly what I meant. Your sister had warned me I'd stay for a week and I'd probably be the liaison. Tsunade only confirmed it."

Gaara looked away, fighting the urge to chastise that man from Suna for lying to him. Shikamaru may be a quick thinker, but sometimes the truth was just etched on his face. To keep himself from putting his thoughts into action, the Suna shinobi stood up and bowed to his interlocutor. "Then I assume it is all. We will discuss this furthermore once I have read the documents, Nara-san. Enjoy your stay in Suna."

Shikamaru watched Gaara descend the stairs with a deep sigh. Mentally, he snapped, _'Troublesome woman, stay out of my head! You'll get me executed some day…' _But then another thought, this one less pleasant, managed to infiltrate his train of thought. _'Great, now I have to go all the way back down these stairs…'_

* * *

After the long trip from his comfortable position on the staircase to the streets, Shikamaru absent-mindedly noticed that it was suppertime. Hs stomach tightened because of its lack of proper nourishment, which made him start hunting for a restaurant. He eventually found a ramen stand, to which he made a beeline for.

"I'm almost as bad as Chouji," he whispered to himself as he took place on a bench.

Soon after, the waitress arrived. A pretty girl of about his age leaned against the counter in front of him and flashed him a row of perfectly-aligned teeth as she flipped her blonde hair back. "Heya, cutie!" she chirped, grinning. "What can I get you?"

Shikamaru shrugged lazily, not really caring unless he'd get some food. "Anything you suggest, really."

"I'll give you the special!" she almost screeched, her grin widening as her blue eyes gleamed. "And I'll even give you the 'cute guy' discount. What's your name, adorable traveler?"

_'Who cares, I want my food…' _

"Nara Shikamaru," he introduced himself. Then, to send a message, he remained quiet instead of asking the girl for her name back.

She didn't get it. "Well you can call me Ai-chan! Oh, and I was wondering for about how long you'll stay around here."

_'Not long, since I'll die of starvation if you don't serve me, anyways.'_

"A week, approximately." He cut it off there, staring almost enviously at the man besides him who was shoving down a huge bowl of miso ramen. It looked and smelled delicious…

"Oh, well isn't that perfect!" Ai giggled, clapping her hands. "I was wondering if you could be my date, for the upcoming festival."

Shikamaru had a sudden flashback of Ino, back in Konoha. _'You've got to be kidding me. Why are women always so desperate? How troublesome…'_

Sensing that sending her hints wasn't working, Shikamaru opted for the reverse psychology and leaned forward, plunging his eyes straight in the girl's and forcing himself to appear interested. "What festival? I haven't heard of one."

Solution failed. The girl giggled again, went around the counter and sat down besides him, folding her hands in her lap and cocking her head. "Well you see, in Suna, engagement is a really big thing. There's a huge ceremony, you see, and well, everyone has to bring someone, and it's like… this big party!" She giggled once more. "And well, I was wondering, since everyone needs a date to enter, if you'd be mine."

Shikamaru almost cringed. This would be even worse than that time where Ino had dragged him around the entire village, pretending she was his girlfriend, just to make Sasuke jealous. That girl was almost as worse, since she referred to herself as "Ai", which also conveniently meant "love". She was definitely Suna's Ino… definitely…

Straightening, Shikamaru shook his head. "I'm not a party guy," he shrugged off the invitation, "and I'm not really interested in one-night stands anyways. I prefer long-term relationships, thank you. Now, about my meal—"

She rudely ignored his last sentence and cut him off. "Aw, come on, Shikamaru-kun!" she cooed, using the honorific. "Please do me the honor! I never had a boyfriend as cute as you! It'll be fun!"

"I don't like parties," he repeated, looking away from her. "Especially not engagement parties. They remind me that I'm single, and I am not your boyfriend."

Wrong choice of words. Ai giggled happily and clapped her hands. "Oh, so you're single too! Well that's even better!"

Realizing that she would've tried to snag him whether or not he already had a girlfriend, Shikamaru turned his back to her, repulsed. He slid off the bench and spoke sharply, "Well thank you for the conversation, but I must go. I'll go eat somewhere else since you obviously won't serve me my food."

Ai suddenly lost her smile as she jumped up, reaching over to grab his arm. Yet the shinobi moved away angrily from the small stand.

The dry dusk wind whipped at his face as the sun began to dip over the horizon, casting an orange glow around. Shadows danced playfully around the Shadow Master, rendering the sandy streets of Suna almost ethereal. The sky was a deep shade of orange and purple, the remaining part of the sun visible a ball of red fire. Shikamaru squinted as he walked, his hands now resting lazily inside his pockets.

He found another restaurant, where he slipped in and ordered rice. The waitress, this time, was the old lady who had shown him how to enter Suna when he had been lost, earlier that morning. They were both alone in the restaurant, so she quietly asked him questions about himself. He answered her while eating, somewhat glad of her company. Then she would tell him stories about Suna, about her grandson who had just graduated from Suna's Academy. The woman reminded him of a nicer version of his grandmother.

As he was finished and his dishes had been put away, he moved to the cash register to pay for his meal. While he counted up the money and handed it to her, the elderly woman asked softly, "I'm curious, dear, did you also come here for the festival that's coming up? It's also an engagement ceremony, and I'm certain it would please the Kazekage if someone from another country would attend."

Shikamaru winced as the image of Ai's bubbly face burst in his mind. "So this engagement thing is big here?"

"Have you already been asked to go, dear?" she asked with a small grin. "It's always preferred if you bring a date, but you don't have to, of course."

"Why is it so important, anyways? Couples get engaged every week; it's not that big of a deal. They're not married yet," Shikamaru grumbled as he glared at his sandals.

As he turned to leave, since his question had been rhetorical, he heard the old woman say, "Well you know, it's not every day that the Kazekage's sister gets engaged."

Shikamaru's change fell from his hands and struck the floor, sending all his tokens spiraling over the restaurant's floor.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, let's end this chapter at yet another cliffhanger. This story should have another chapter or two, maybe three if I can stretch it, but no more than that. Just so you guys can be warned and won't go, "WHAT!? THE END!?" when it'll happen.

Sorry for the delay. I don't know if anyone is having this problem, but I've had over 10 snow days over the winter. So now, all these ten snow days are crawling back to us, plus they advanced our final exams of one week. Hence, we have 17 days to cram in our remaining thirty days. I now have two essays to write, one ISU presentation of ten to fifteen minutes, one oral presentation of another 15-20 minutes about a mental illness for sociology class, and we're going double-speed for math, hence at least an hour of homework per night. But that's when we're lucky. Oh, and a huge programmation project to hand in. Mine's Pacman! XD So with all that, fanfics are a bit at the back of my mind. So sorry, guys, I'm really doing my best!

Thanks so much to those who reviewed! Sixty-four and counting! Hopefully I'll hit the hundreds before ending!

Take care!


	7. Nighttime Comfort

**Disclaimer** – I own it as much as I own the first line in my "Dedication" paragraph… v.v

**Dedication **– Snowqueen184, come on down! You're the lucky winner of "WHO GETS THE DED!" XD Woot! Thanks for reading my story, love! You're amazing!

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**Chapter seven: Nighttime Comfort**

Night had fallen over the desert, the air now chilly and the wind uncomfortably cold. Yet for every degree that had fallen under the comfort zone, about a hundred stars had lit up in the sky. It skimmed midnight when Shikamaru stopped his erratic walking.

After hearing the shocking news of Temari's engagement with Ryota, he had mechanically gotten back to his apartment, where he had slowly taken a long shower and had gotten changed. It took about two hours for the news to sink it, for the pain to feel fresh and real. Knowing that sleep wouldn't grace him tonight, Shikamaru slinked away from his apartment and began to walk through the dark streets.

Soon, he found himself close to the Sabaku household, yet he only circled it once before making his way to a nearby park. Temari had made her decision; he wouldn't be able to change it no matter what. What she had said must've been true- she really did love Ryota after all. Yet the genius hadn't been able to admit it to himself before, but now was the proof he couldn't deny.

She had made him come here. She knew that he'd find out about her engagement soon enough. She wanted to crush him. To make him realize that he had to let her go. She knew about his infatuation all along.

As he mingled with dark thoughts, he slunk against a nearby tree and stared in the distances. A few minutes later, though, the shadows in the distance began to move.

Shikamaru squinted to see the figure approaching. Since he was sitting completely alone close to a tree, under its shadow, the newcomer wouldn't get to see his face unless he'd let himself be seen. Just by the way the person moved, by the signature hairstyle and aggressive march, he easily deduced it was Temari.

She stopped a few meters from him, obviously not knowing that he was present. She moved her arms forward, then backwards, slowly turning them in a circle. He watched her repeat that movement a few times, before she sunk to her knees and brought her hands to her face. Her loose hair fluttered around her shoulders, the shorter edges hanging limply around her chin.

Slightly worried, Shikamaru stood up from his own position and walked toward her. Halting in front of her knelt body, he eased himself down in a sitting position and looked at her.

Temari slowly lowered her arms, shooting him a brief look. Their glances remained locked, and the shadow user was slightly surprised to see the amount of animosity that weighted in her eyes. But the surprise was nothing compared to the other emotion displayed on her face. Pain.

Yet her expression was as hard as rock, framed by messy blonde tendrils. The only details that betrayed the pain were the tears marring her face.

Shikamaru felt himself frown despite the situation. Anger boiled within himself; a rage that he couldn't quite identify with. Reaching over, he grabbed her left wrist and whispered rapidly, "Temari?"

She didn't answer him. Her eyes remained transfixed upon his face, tears continuing to roll down her face. She only parted her lips once, to draw in a shaky breath, then closed it again and continued her silent torture.

Squinting in an attempt to see her, he noticed that her shoulders were as erect as they could, her head held high. He knew that she hadn't expected anyone to be there at such a late hour, and seeing him present only added to her misery. But the shinobi also knew that he was probably the first, or one of the firsts, to see her cry.

Easing on the tenseness which he held her wrist, yet refusing to let go, he lowered his voice and spoke firmly. "This has to stop."

Another shaky breath went in. Temari then found her voice and snapped bitterly, "This is none of your business."

Shikamaru scoffed lightly as he gently touched her tears. She didn't pull away, which gave him the necessary courage to wipe them from her face. They were soon replaced by new ones, yet he dried them as well.

"There's no one around to impress, Temari," he murmured, drying yet another set of tears. "Everybody cries sometimes. It's only a mere release of your emotions. Just let it out, stop trying to hold it in."

Temari then snickered softly, though it sounded more like a sob. She then swallowed back whatever she was about to say and shook her head firmly twice. Her hands balled into fists as more water trickled down from her dark blue eyes.

Shikamaru then moved so that he would be sitting besides her and released her wrist. Yet sensing that the atmosphere they were in, along with the blanketing darkness and the millions of stars, would bring him luck, he reached over and pulled her in his arms.

At first she struggled lightly, yet he only tightened his hold. For the first few minutes, in complete silence, she remained stiffly in his embrace, refusing to give in. But she also knew that Shikamaru was almost as bad as she was when it came to stubbornness, hence they could be there all night. Finally, she relented and leaned her cheek against his shoulder. He shifted his body so that they would be more comfortable, which made her stiff muscles relax.

Eventually, she stopped her silent crying and simply closed her eyes, breathing gently. Shikamaru allowed himself the luxury of dropping his own cheek on top of her head and breathing in her scent. But this couldn't go on anymore. His tired brain needed answers.

"He hits you, doesn't he?"

Temari's body stiffened once more, which instantly gave him the answer he was looking for. But he wanted – no, he _needed_ to hear her say it. Finally, she whispered numbly, "Yes."

Frustrated by her lack of explanation, Shikamaru pulled his head away and tilted it down so he could see her. She cracked her eyes open and locked their gazes together once again.

"Explain to me," he ordered softly, "how you can stay with him when he hurts you. I don't understand, Temari. Why do you go through this torture?"

The blonde kunoichi turned her head from him, looking away. "It's my fault," she started passively. "If I wouldn't screw up all the time, he wouldn't have to correct me."

Shikamaru's frown only deepened. He recognized the unfamiliar speech of a beaten person, though it felt rather surreal to have to listen to it coming from such a strong woman's lips. "Then end the relationship. Gosh, Temari, you can have any man that you want. Why pick one that's always disappointed in you, when you could find one who'd see past all the 'screw-ups', as you call them."

"Shikamaru," she suddenly stopped him, shutting her eyes once more. "Just be quiet, please. I just want to sleep. I've been pacing my room for hours every night for the last week. Just shut up, please…"

At this she fell silent, once more snuggling closer to him. He tightened his arm protectively, instinctively, before being taken in by various emotions. He was furious at Ryota for making Temari go through abuse, frustration at her refusal to break off the relationship she was in, longing to be with her, yet most of all, he felt the familiar tug of pain that came with his love for her.

Worst part was the strain of being unable to understand exactly what was going on. He felt her tenseness wear off as she was lulled into sleep, something he knew that she hadn't been doing much these last few days. Something kept her with that man. Fear maybe? It was the only logical explanation he could muster, even though where Temari was concerned… Fear wouldn't quite be so logical, after all.

He kept her in his arms through the entire night. He ignored his bones, which wearily began hurting after a few hours of immobility. Only when dawn began to break and the sky started to lighten did he move his neck, to peer at her serene face. The strain had gone from her expression, revealing the careless state which he thought she should always be in. Allowing himself a familiarity in which he never would've considered had she been awake, he leaned forward to whisper softly in her ear. "See Temari, this is how you'd feel if you would choose me over that guy…"

He allowed a few seconds to go by before gently shaking her. She stirred lightly and moaned something incomprehensible, before falling asleep once again. Shikamaru smiled despite himself, wanting this moment to continue forever. Yet the early-rising shinobi would usually get up around this time, and he didn't want any bad tongue going around the village with fresh gossip about the Kazekage's sister. He shook her again, this time accompanying his action with, "Temari, get up. It's dawn."

This time she cracked her eyes open and blinked a few time, staring up at him in slight confusion. Her eyes softened as she saw him, before the realization of where she was hit her. Hurriedly, she tore herself from his arms and tried to say something, then stopped and growled in frustration.

Shikamaru only grinned. He had caught her off-guard again. Those few, precious seconds where she had looked at him almost admiringly would be worth all the vicious words that were bound to come very soon. He had gotten to spend the night holding a vulnerable Temari. Ryota could brag about having her as a girlfriend; yet she kept her guard around him as well. She had allowed it to come down for a few hours; and even though she had kept herself reserved from him, it had been worth it. Now he had to take a step back, away from the closeness she had let him penetrate.

She stood up hurriedly, running a hand through her mussed hair. "Shikamaru," she suddenly said, her voice still heavy with sleepiness. "This never happened, we—"

"I know," he agreed, raising a hand in a wave. "Go now, before someone finds us here."

The blonde kunoichi eyed him up and down wordlessly. Then, slowly, she knelt down to his level and leaned over, pressing her lips softly over his cheek. It was only a fleeting moment before she had retreated and was back on her feet.

She shot him one last, long look, before turning around and beginning to walk. He also stood up and brushed the sand from his clothing, then stretched lazily in a few directions and realized how tired he was.

How tired, yet at the same time, rejuvenated. He smirked lightly as Temari's form disappeared in the waning darkness, shaking his head a few times. He'd probably had an idiotic smile etched onto his face right now. If any shinobi was to stop by him, he'd probably witness the joy in his eyes.

She did have feelings for him. That, he was certain of. Temari wouldn't kiss a guy on the cheek. That was just a fact. She was aggressive enough to attempt more than just a _mere_ kiss on the cheek.

He remained immobile in his position longer than he thought he would, his mind whirling like crazy as to what his next move would be. After all, life was just like a good game of shogi. You just have to learn when to use every piece you have. Sometimes, some will be sacrificed, but in the end, it will be all worth it.

With a determined smirk, Shikamaru headed back to his apartment. He zipped open the suitcase he had neglected to open and dumped its contents on his bed. Sorting through the various objects he had packed, and the other treats his mother had filed along, he finally found what he was looking for.

A box of chocolate.

Grabbing a permanent marker, he grabbed the cap with his teeth and pulled the pen from it, then leaned the box of chocolate against the wall and penned down the name he had in mind. He had a plan.

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A/N: XD I'm now laughing alone in my corner. Seriously, take a second to imagine Shikamaru's mom just _hoping_ he'll get himself a girlfriend, shoving a box of chocolate in his bag.

Be proud of this update. I'm sacrificing my essay for this.

Now this is for you who wanted some ShikaTema fluff. Don't come down in the reviews and go "OMFG TEMARI IS OOC! YOU MADE HER CRY!" because believe me, I've seen some tough women cry in my lifetime. But honestly, I don't think it came out as OOC. v.v

Hope you all enjoy! Thank you so much for the reviews everyone!

Take care!


	8. Game Over

Disclaimer: I, in no way, own any Naruto characters and will roast whoever says so.

Dedication: I dedicate this one to TaintedMoonlight. Thank you so much for the long review of chapter seven! Hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter eight: Game Over**

The girl opened the door, peering outside curiously. She looked left and right, her blonde hair swinging in both directions as she did so. No one around. Making a face at whoever was immature enough to do such a thing as knocking as running, she took a step back and shut the door with a slam. Then she frowned and reopened it, training her eyes on the ground.

A heart-shaped red box rested on the 'welcome' mat in front of her house. Squealing, she jumped down the small step and fell on her knees, grabbing the box and fumbling with the label. Her mouth snapped open as she saw, in bold black handwriting, "I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. I hope you'll forgive me. I will need a date for the big festival coming up, how about we go together? If so, meet me tomorrow night in front of the Sabaku household at 7:45pm – Shikamaru"

Grinning victoriously, Ai punched the air happily and screamed, as loud as she could, "Yes!" Then, turning around, she wildly ran into her house. "Momma, I have a date for Temari-sama's engagement party!"

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was resting against the side of the house, smirking at her reaction. There was nothing better than a few chocolates and pretty words to get a girl on his good side. Now, all that was left was to get to Temari before she could make it official. He had informed himself about Suna's engagement policies, and any couple should at least remain at the festival for five hours before making it official. He had enough time to act.

Even if at the moment he wasn't too sure of what would happen, he knew that he'd get a plan later on. He has just laid out the shogi board. The real game would start tomorrow night.

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The music was loud and festive, the lanterns bright with fire. There were already many people dancing when Shikamaru arrived. Clinging to his arm, Ai was babbling something about how her hair curled perfectly, but Shikamaru wasn't listening. No one was really paying any attention to him. Perfect. He could begin his spying duties.

Soon, though, Ai had dragged him to the middle of the floor to dance. He reluctantly obliged, then almost smirked as she closed her eyes and snuggled against him. She wouldn't see that he wasn't even half interested in her. In fact, his eyes were scanning over the various moving heads, until they finally stopped on who he had been looking for.

Thank Kami he was a ninja, or else he probably would've tripped over his own feet.

Temari was seated, unsmiling, besides Ryota at a large table. The tablecloth in front of her was of a pristine white, contrasting with the navy blue dress she was wearing. Her hair was pulled up in a fancy up do, showing off her crystal earrings and necklace.

Ryota, also perfectly dressed to make him appear like a real gentleman, was seated besides her. He'd briefly glance at her occasionally, almost as if to reassure himself she wasn't eyeing another man. The shadow user smirked lightly as the song ended, and Ai took his hand and tugged him towards Temari.

It was a custom, she said, to greet the future fiancée. They would be rude to ignore such a tradition, right?

Ai stopped directly in front of Temari, still clutching Shikamaru's arm protectively, proudly. She was grinning ear-to-ear as she congratulated Temari over and over again, exclaiming also how beautiful the ceremony was so far. Music blared in the background, the notes drifting towards them rapidly, the small breeze making the torches flicker.

Meanwhile, Temari and Shikamaru were looking at each other, sending a message only they could understand. The fierce kunoichi then turned her cutting gaze to meet Ai's bubbly one, which made the latter stop speaking instantly. Temari then looked away, signs of hate towards the younger girl manifesting onto her features.

Another song then started playing, and the shadow user slid his arm away from his date's grip. "May I have this dance?" he questioned, all laziness cast aside for the night.

Temari raised a perfectly-groomed eyebrow at his audacity, especially since Ryota was sitting directly besides her. In fact, the stern man glared at Shikamaru though his grey eyes, his expression darkening. The Leaf shinobi simply ignored him, keeping his gaze trained on Temari. Sensing the tenseness rising by the second, he decided to add some innocence to his question before this could get ugly. "Just one dance before you get engaged, Temari. We've been friends for so long; it would be a shame that you wouldn't accord this to me."

Temari shot Ryota a glance, who finally gave her a nod of permission. She then smiled the same confident smile she had had back at their very first meeting. He took her outstretched hand and led her on the dance floor, ignoring the fact that Ai was staring at him with her mouth wide open. He'd definitely need to do some damage control with her later, but that could wait.

He gently rested his free hand on Temari's waist, raising the other one slightly as they began to move to the music.

"What happened to the laziness?" she asked with a small smirk, her eyes shining maliciously.

Shikamaru shrugged, all while forcing himself not to close the distance he was keeping between them, for the sake of appearances. "Every shinobi has a flaw. They're just moments when they have to let it go in order to complete their task perfectly."

Temari rolled her eyes. "And your date? Where'd you pick her up?"

"I knew I'd appear ten times less attached to you if I came accompanied. This dance also appears to be nothing but friendship, since I came here with a girl. Had I been alone, people would've talked," he justified, taking a small step back as she tried to close the gap between them.

"No feelings for her?" she asked softly, curiously.

"None for her," he promised quietly, "only for you."

Just as he spoke so, the music ended and many people clapped. He reluctantly let her go, peering down at her face. He was thankful there were a lot of torches, since it was now well into nighttime and everything were dark. She was peering up at him with the usual confident smile, but there was a sparkle of uncertainty in her eyes. Shikamaru was suddenly taken aback by his own desire to lean down and to kiss her. She simply kept smiling, leaning lightly against him as she brought her arms to circle his neck once again.

Suddenly, they both heard a sharp sound and turned to see Gaara holding a wine glass. He was rapping a spoon against it, which instantly got everyone's attention. The rumble quieted down as Temari slid away from the crowd to stand besides Ryota. The latter grabbed her hand roughly, his glare sending daggers out to the crowd.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru had caught up with Ai, who looked literally heartbroken. He briefly touched her arm and whispered that she was almost as beautiful as the fiancée-to-be. She brightened and her jovial mood was brought back. Shikamaru only smirked and turned to listen to Gaara as he started his speech.

"I want to thank you all for assisting this engagement ceremony. It's always a pleasure to have this grand moment celebrated with as many people as possible." He stopped as the crowd applauded the short introduction. He then spoke again while beckoning Ryota forward. "I am now pleased to introduce, to those who didn't get any chance to meet him yet, Saito Ryota."

The crowd yet again erupted into applause. Shikamaru kept his arms crossed as he waited for the man to back down. He then uncrossed his arms and took one of Ai's hands, which made her clutch it giddily. He was glad she was holding onto him, or else he would've probably reached in his pocket for the concealed kunai to embed in the man's stomach.

Gaara then sat down and another man stepped forward. He was older, with Ryota's cold demeanor and imposing stature. Obviously his father. He didn't have Gaara's refined way of speaking, yet obviously held a position of high authority, since people seemed truthfully eager to listen to what he had to say.

"I have to admit," he started in a deep voice, "that I am glad that Ryota and Temari will finally be engaged. She is, after all, a beautiful and intelligent woman, who deserves nothing less than a man like my son."

Unable to stop himself, Shikamaru winced.

Ryota's father continued. "I am certain that they will be very happy, and we all wish them the best of luck." Many people applauded, thinking it was over. But then the man smirked and finished his speech with, "After all, how rare is it that two individuals, promised to each other at birth, will actually fall in love."

For the Leaf shinobi, time stopped. His ears seemed to be blocking every sound, the colors seemed to mesh together, and his fingers turned numb.

While everyone applauded, Shikamaru pulled his hand away from Ai's, a ball forming itself in his chest. He quickly excused himself under the pretense that he needed to use the restroom. He tore away from everyone, soon leaving the Sabaku household.

He managed to find an alley, which was unoccupied. He sunk against the cool stone of the wall behind himself, blending in with the shadows. His hands balled in fists as his numbness turned into a raging pain that made his airways clench forcefully. Inhaling deeply, he ran a hand over his tied back hair, shaking his head to clear its hateful thoughts.

He didn't stay there a long time, before hearing his name being called. He didn't turn around until her soft fingers touched his arm, before he whirled around and glared at her. Temari actually took a step back when he did so, sensing the oppressive aura surrounding him.

"How dare you," he spat out, furious. "Why in the world didn't you tell me?"

"Shikamaru, don't," Temari ordered, grabbing his arm. She frowned, but he could see her eyes glistening. "What did you want me to tell you? 'Oh, by the way, I'm promised to Ryota'?"

"Yes!" he shouted back, before straining to contain his voice. "You should've told me it was an arranged marriage! I would've understood!"

"Understood what?" She was beginning to look slightly frantic as she tightened her grip on his arm. "Shikamaru, I can't break it off with him. I can't do this to Gaara. It would turn half of the council against him in a minute. It's too late now to turn back now."

Shikamaru forced himself to calm down. Strategize. Think. The game isn't over yet.

Gently, Temari slid forward so she could hug him. He resisted for a few seconds, then raised his arms to hold her back.

"Temari," he whispered, rubbing the skin unhidden by her dress. "How do you feel about him? Truly."

She didn't even hesitate. "I hate him. I never hated anyone as I hate him. But I love my brother, Shikamaru, and I have to do this for him. I'm so sorry."

He gently pulled away and looked at her face. She genuinely looked apologetic, which fueled his desires even more. He simply shook his head and smiled lightly, before leaning down and capturing her lips with his. She was much too happy to oblige, deepening the kiss and pressing herself against him hungrily.

Shikamaru pulled away first before he'd lose whatever he had left of his sanity. Temari, though, only snuggled closer to him and pressed her face against his neck. He had his mind made up before his plan was halfway done. Usually, he'd figure out what to do, then would think of the consequences that could occur. That night, his planning stopped at the action- he'd take whatever penitence would come to him later.

"Come on," he whispered, "we have to get you back in case someone comes to look for you."

He walked with her hand-in-hand until they were only a corner from the Sabaku household. Then he turned around and gave her a rapid kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, before turning around and staring through the crowd. He reached in his pocket for the kunai and tightly wrapped his fingers around the cool metal.

His opponent was now game over.

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A/N: Yurk. This didn't quite come out as dramatic as I wanted it to be. Sorry guys, but it was either this or a better chapter with another week of waiting. The delay on my essay sort of came to bite me in the -bleep- and now I'm utterly miserable. The teacher gave us yet another essay to write and I realized that my ISU is due next week. I'm buried in work and I can't stand it off any longer.

Next chapter will be the last, I warn you all. I think my story's reached its peak and will now fall into its development. Thank you for reading this far anyways, and keep reviewing! I'm almost at a hundred reviews!

Take care!


	9. Leave

**Disclaimer: **For one final time, I only own Ai, Ryota, and his father.

**Dedication: **This one is, once again, for I.Heart.Hatake.Kakashi! Thanks for asking me to write this, I really had a lot of fun! I really hope I made it justice for you!

**A/N: **Hi everyone!

As usual, when I finish writing a story, the A/N will be at the top. If anyone is curious as to why, it's simply because I want the story to end… by the story. Not by my rambling.

Thank you so much to everyone who's followed trough with this. I really struggled, but you all pushed me through! In case no one noticed, this was actually a spinoff of one of my drabbles, go check out my ShikaTema chapter in my Music Shuffle Meme! This is all thanks to the dear lady who has this chapter dedicated to her. Thank you, again.

(1) Fist time ever I used an end (or rather top, in this case) note… That's all thanks to you, E! XD You influenced me! Anyways, the idea from this came from **I.Heart.Hatake.Kakashi**'s Wind and Dragon, chapter fourteen. XP I strongly suggest you read it, it's an amazing fic!

Lastly, I will now take a much-deserved break for a few days. I plan on taking up my non-fanfiction work, Twin Arrows, on my fictionpress for a while. But don't worry; I will soon come up with something new! Now enough of my rambling, I hope you all will enjoy the last chapter!

Take care!

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**Chapter nine: Leave**

People were dancing, yet Shikamaru couldn't see them.

Music was blaring, yet he couldn't hear anything.

He slid through the crowd unnoticed, heading straight for Ryota. His fingers tightened on the kunai, before uncurling themselves completely and pulling his weaponless hand from his pocket. He'd save his weapons for a last resort. He wasn't there for killing.

He noticed that Ryota was talking to Ai. He was actually smiling, slightly lustfully, as she flirted with him passionately. Shameless, the pair of them. Both as disgusting as the other through the Leaf shinobi's eyes.

He vaguely saw Temari jogging towards him. He only stopped when she grabbed his arm and whispered angrily, "Don't you dare, Nara Shikamaru. There are way too many people around here; they'll all murder you if you try anything on him. Gaara will exile you from Suna forever."

Shikamaru shook her off, his eyes falling on the delicate skin of her neck. Even in the semi-darkness, he could see the healing bruises, which made his fury grow considerably. He turned his back to Temari and resumed his walk towards Ai and Ryota.

He stopped about three meters from the chattering pair, noticing out of his peripheral vision Ryota's father staring at him. Ryota himself then proceeded to glare his way, before Ai burst into a screaming fit at him.

"Shikamaru, how dare you leave with Temari earlier? Everyone noticed that little escapade! Like, in less than an hour, she will be engaged, for Kami's sake! Poor Ryota-sama is heartbroken at that—"

The remaining of her sentence was lost in a terrified scream. Shikamaru had lunged forward with all the speed worthy of a true shinobi and had implanted his fist squarely in Ryota's nose. The taller man, not even close to expecting the blow, stumbled backwards and brought a hand up to his nose, which soon began to spurt blood.

Shikamaru's aura was dark and he shot glares to anyone who dared to approach. His eyes barely skimmed over Gaara as the Kazekage began to walk towards them. Yet the redhead couldn't go much farther as his sister grabbed him by the arm, shaking her head lightly. She began to urgently whisper something in his ear, waving a hand rapidly. He halted his stride and continued to visually shoot daggers at Shikamaru's back, all while listening to his sister.

"You troublesome bastard," Shikamaru growled at Ryota as the man brought a tissue to his face. The crowd had now gone silent, many staring at them. Temari's future father-in-law stepped forward hurriedly, obviously ready to murder Shikamaru for hitting his son.

Shikamaru now leaned forward so that he could whisper in Ryota's ear without being overheard. "You hit her one more time," he whispered angrily, "and it won't be a punch you'll get in the face."

Ryota only smirked, his lips gleaming with fresh blood. "I can do whatever I want with her, Nara. She's mine as of tonight."

Shikamaru lunged again. This time, Ryota attempted to duck, which resulted in both boys sprawling to the ground. More violent punches were thrown on both sides as women screamed and men shouted at Shikamaru to back off. But it only boosted Shikamaru's bad mood. How dare they cheer for a man that would, months from now, beat his wife every night?

Now so furious that hate was almost blinding him, Shikamaru pulled out his kunai from his pocket as he struggled to his feet. The clean metal reflected off lighting, which made Ryota back away from him. The shadow user then raised his eyes to see his opponent's father rushing forward with weapons of his own. He didn't have any time left. He planted the kunai down rapidly, straight towards Ryota's chest.

The weapon imbedded itself in a wall of sand.

The entire crowd fell silent as the sand turned from soft to hard as rock, trapping Shikamaru's weapon. The Leaf shinobi gave it one sharp tug, yet it remained stuck fiercely in. It was only then that his brain seemingly reconnected with him, as he realized who the sand belonged to. He lowered his head slowly, the rush of adrenaline leaving his body instantly as he realized the stupidity of his own actions.

He had just tried to murder the Kazekage's future brother-in-law.

It was so silent that Shikamaru could hear the flames flicker as Gaara slowly stepped forward. His sand disintegrated and slid lazily back into his gourd as he walked, his dark robes swishing slowly around his legs. Shikamaru's weapon fell to the ground uselessly, yet its owner did not try to retrieve it.

People were moving away from the scene, not wanting to be in what would be one of the biggest scandals in Suna. Tension was rising considerably as the Kazekage stopped besides both Ryota, who was now kneeling down, and Shikamaru, who was studying his shoes intently. The redhead took a few minutes to watch both men. The pair would definitely have bruises tomorrow; they were both obviously good fighters.

Then Ryota's father made himself heard as he stopped besides Gaara and began to yell. "Kazekage-sama, I strongly advise you to murder that traitor in cold blood! He should be executed on the spot for ruining my son's engagement ceremony!"

Gaara remained as collected as usual. Instead of getting angry, he shot a dirty glare at Ryota's father. "There will be no more engagement."

The older man's face fell. His question shot out in an angry snap. "What?"

The redhead shot a lethal glare at Ryota as he spoke. "I will never allow that man close to my sister ever again. Ryota, I order for you to leave Suna right away. If I ever see you again, or if you ever attempt contacting my sister, consider yourself dead. Am I clear?"

For once looking humbled, a white-faced Ryota nodded slowly and stood up. His nose had finally stopped bleeding, yet dry blood was marring the lower side of his face and his shirt. He understood what he had done; there was no need to make things clear. Refusing to look at his father, he turned his back and hurried away from the clearing.

Meanwhile, the people remaining were starting to whisper. Many looked curious, while others just looked worried. Ryota's father stood, looking appalled, before growling something about how he'd get Gaara back for that, before leaving the vicinity.

Gaara didn't blink at the probable empty threat, before announcing clearly, "The ceremony is cancelled. Everyone go home. Now."

The emphasis on the last word definitely worked its magic. In under a minute, everyone had departed, leaving Shikamaru and Gaara alone. The former smartly chose to remain quiet, as the redhead stood in front of him, staring intently at the Leaf shinobi's face.

Finally, after a long examination, Gaara spoke. "I ought to kill you."

'_Accept your consequences,'_ said Shikamaru's subconscious, reminding him of his decision to avoid further planning. He once again chose to stay mute, hoping that the Kazekage wouldn't go through with his threat.

"I ought to kill you," he repeated, "but I won't. Not today, anyways."

'_Did he just… joke?'_ Shikamaru raised his eyes to meet Gaara's icy turquoise ones.

The latter continued. "I want to thank you, Shikamaru. I now have a reason to stop the wedding. I have known for a while that Ryota was a treacherous man, yet I couldn't break their union without ruining my reputation. Temari's reputation as well. You gave us both the easy way out."

"Are you serious?" Shikamaru made a face. Sensing he would still be alive by the end of the day, he decided to push it some more. "You really would've married Temari to that jerk?"

Gaara's face remained collected. "Yes."

Shikamaru darkened once again, yet didn't say a word. There was no need to butcher his case even more than it currently was.

Gaara then crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, I have to ask you to also leave Suna, Shikamaru. You did try to harm the son of one of my best advisor. Though I will be forgiving and allow you to go pick up your things at the hotel"

"I understand," Shikamaru nodded coldly. "I will leave right away."

Gaara watched as the Leaf shinobi left his backyard. As soon as he was out of sight, the powerful Kazekage turned his back, and smiled.

* * *

The trip through the desert had been easier this time around. It only took him an hour to get out, as opposed to six just to enter. He soon found the comforting patch of wood that he had grown accustomed to walking in, since the Sand Village's desert was close enough to a tree-lined path that most shinobi used to travel.

Not quite the best option when you were supposed to be on a top-secret mission, yet Shikamaru doubted anyone would ambush him. Unless the thieves wanted dirty clothing, there would be no reason to. The fact that he was walking out in plain sight would tell even the stupidest of Genin that he either didn't have anything to hide, or that he had amazing backup behind him.

Yet even if there would've been the entire Akatsuki in front of him, he probably wouldn't have realized they were there. His mind was numb with shock at what he had done. The sheer irresponsibility at having made a decision without thinking of the outcome was still strange to him. He might have done some amazing shots during the game, yet it had been a tie. Neither had won.

'_Had I thought this through, I probably would've gotten what I really wanted in the first place,'_ he thought to himself as he walked, his suitcase gently swinging from his hand. _'That's it, I guess… All this for absolutely nothing. I lost probably every single chance of seeing Temari ever again.'_Raising his eyes to the moon, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "You were a real fool, Shikamaru," he told himself out loud, the knot in his stomach growing painfully. "A total fool."

Then, a cool, clear voice to his left stopped him in his tracks. "More like a troublesome fool, right Shikamaru?"

He whirled around to see Temari, changed in her usual tight-but-casual wear, sitting playfully on the lowest branch of a tree. Her fan remained propped against the trunk just besides him.

Shikamaru gently lowered his suitcase to the ground. "How did you get here so fast, woman?"

She smirked confidently as she began to swing her legs. "I travel these deserts every day, crybaby. I know every secret passageway there is to be known. I've been here for a long time now."

"Don't rub it in," he groaned, shaking his head. "Come down here so I can talk to you properly. "

"Tch, troublesome," she mimicked with a grin. "You come on up if you want to talk."

He sighed, but obeyed her nonetheless. A picture of his dad obeying his mother appeared in his mind, but he brushed it off. Imagination. It could definitely do funny things to a person.

The pair remained in silence for a while. Animals and birds living in the forest would flicker around occasionally, the braver lot of them stopping just at their feet or above their heads. The thick shelter of leaves above their heads tainted their surroundings with darkness, leaving only the path in front of them illuminated.

"Gaara knew about Ryota," Temari suddenly whispered. "He knew that he was hitting me." She raised a hand before Shikamaru could put in a word and kept talking. "I know that he probably took all the blame on himself and said that he was doing it for his own reputation, but I'm the one who really insisted upon staying with Ryota. He only stopped you from killing him because he didn't want you charged with murder, Shikamaru. Otherwise, he probably would've allowed you to go through with it. My little brother actually is quite fond of you, though he has problems showing it."

Now sensing that she would remain quiet, he commented, "Right, troublesome woman. He only banned me from Suna, I'm sure he values me—"

"Did he?" Temari smirked. "Or did he just ask you to leave? Unlike to Ryota, he never mentioned you couldn't come back."

After thinking about it for a few seconds, he had to digress. Gaara did only chase him momentarily from Suna. "Why did you follow me, anyways, troublesome woman? You know I have to go back home."

"And why can't I accompany you?" she questioned teasingly, scooting over flirtatiously to his side. She looped her arm around his, smirking at the small wince that flickered over his face. "I'm sure your parents would love it if I'd show up arm-in-arm with you, especially since the news of my engagement have surely reached Konoha. I can already smell the gossip from that town when we'll show up."

Shikamaru cringed slightly. Rumors usually didn't affect him, yet they were troublesome enough. People would, most of the time when he was concerned in them, stop by to verify the sources. It was quite troublesome when he had to repeat the exact same thing dozens of time to people who knew would still spread the rumor nonetheless.

But now people would probably bother more than just his cloud-watching. They'd bother the precious time he'd have with Temari.

Temari then shook her head as she rolled her aquamarine eyes. "Relax, crybaby. Remember those documents you were supposed to bring back?" He nodded. "Well since Gaara kicked you out of the country, he needed someone to carry them over to the Leaf Village. Plus I told him I'd rather be out of the village for a few days, it gave me a perfect excuse."

Shikamaru found himself to be smirking as she was speaking. "Troublesome woman, you're almost as smart as me."

He awaited a nasty comeback, yet it didn't come. Instead, she only leaned over and tilted his head so she could kiss him. He gladly returned the mark of affection, before Temari pulled away with yet another smirk.

"You know, my lazy ass, you do talk quite a lot these last few days. I think it would do the entire population a favor if you would shut up," she whispered with a raise of her left brow and a smile on her lips.

Shikamaru only smiled. "How will you stop me?"

"Oh, I'll find ways to make you be quiet," she replied seductively, as she leaned forward to give him another kiss.

_The End_


End file.
